Humanized anti-calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) monoclonal antibodies have been found to be effective in reducing the frequency of chronic migraine (Dodick D W et al. (2014) Lancet Neurol. 13:1100-1107; Dodick D W et al. (2014) Lancet Neurol. 13:885-892; Bigal M E et al. (2015) Lancet Neurol. 14:1081-1090; Bigal M E et al. (2015) Lancet Neurol. 14:1091-1100; and Sun H et al. (2016) Lancet Neurol. 15:382-390). However, while anti-CGRP antibodies have been found effective in treating certain headaches, patients can respond in varying ways. For example, an anti-CGRP antibody can be totally effective, partially effective, or not effective at all in treating the headache or preventing the occurrence of a headache. It could benefit patient care, conserve physician time, and prevent unnecessary use of a particular course of treatment if it could be determined prior to treatment with an anti-CGRP antibody whether use of that antibody will be effective to treat a headache and/or to prevent development of a headache.
Therefore methods for determining whether treatment comprising an anti-CGRP antibody will be effective in the treatment of a patient who has headache or who is susceptible to headache are needed.